How do I start with hydroponics?

If you have never tried it, you heard about it and you would like to try it, then this article is for you.

There is an abundance of information about hydroponics on the web but it’s not easy to find out what you need since plenty of it is actually not useful for the hobby gardener but more suitable for big installations and professional horticulturists.

You often get the impression hydroponics requires a lot of specialized and very expensive material. But a hobby gardener who only wants to grow a few pot plants, veggies and fruit does not need all that material. It is only useful for professional growers.

I know, plenty of hobbyists do buy this stuff (read smalltime cannabis growers who grow a few plants in their bedroom or living room), hoping to start a profitable business. But if you grow plants on a few square meters or feet, the investment is too high to be able to make a profit.

But you are an amateur gardener (read plant nut, palm tree nut, banana nut, orchid nut, green nut…) and you want to grow a few plants in hydroponics.

My advice is: keep it simple.

What do you need to start with hydroponics?

You need 3 things to start basic hydroponics:

a waterproof pot

an inert substrate or growing medium

a specialized fertilizer for hydroponics

a water gauge (optional)

That’s it! No need for expensive material like testers, growing lights, a growing chamber or ready made containers.

1. Waterproof pot:

A waterproof pot or container, without the holes at the bottom as in pots for growing plants in soil.

The pot needs to be made of inert material: no wood or metal, preferably plastic, porcelain…

Ideally, the pot should be opaque to avoid proliferation of algae. But for a temporary use, a transparent pot will do.

2. Substrate:

In hydroponics, you typically use inert substrates that do not contain any nutrients.

Expanded clay can be found in DIY stores. The ones sold for construction are exactly the same as the ones stored for hydroponics. What’s the difference then? The price and the fact that the ones for hydroponics have been pre-washed. But you have to wash either before using them, so you might as well go for the cheaper variety.

Coco peat is found in compressed tablet form or in bags in bulk. The ones in tablet form are easier to transport and store.

3. Fertilizer for hydroponics:

Hydroponics require a specialized fertilizer as the substrates contain no or very few nutrients.

This fertilizer has to be added with every watering.

It is usually sold in specialized hydroponics shops or online.

4. Water gauge (optional):

A water gauge is necessary when using an opaque pot. It allows you to check the level of the nutrient solution and if watering is required.

In a transparent pot, you don’t need a water meter as the level is visible through the pot.

My hydroponic plants:

I recently transferred a banana plant to hydroponics and it doesn’t seem to be traumatized.

Most of my orchids are in hydroponics too and they love it.

You can even sow directly in hydroponics. Big seeds like avocado pits can be planted in clay granules, smaller seed in vermiculite or coco peat.

Strelitzia reginae: I bought this one very small a few years ago. It’s healthy and growing regularly. Now if it would just flower…

Strelitzia reginae

Monstera deliciosa seedling. This is the most basic hydroponics configuration possible: a plastic bottle and clay aggregate. The water level can easily be checked through the pot.

Monstera deliciosa seedling

Avocado in coco peat, in a subirrigation container.

You may notice some algae in the water reservoir but that’s not a huge problem. I usually wash it with vinegar before refilling and the pot is temporary, a few months at most.

Avocado in self-irrigating pot

Avocado in clay aggregate.

Persea americana in expanded clay granules

Washingtonia filifera seedlings in soil and clay aggregate.

Washingtonia filifera seedlings

You’re interested or intrigued? You have questions? Don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Image sources

Avocado in hydroponics: Own work

Strelitzia reginae: Own work

Monstera deliciosa seedling: Own work

Avocado in self-irrigating pot: Own work

Persea americana in expanded clay granules: Own work

Washingtonia filifera seedlings: Own work

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Katherine

Do you if it’s possible to omit the substrate? I have seen this many times. Also, if using a substrate, is it possible to use pumice stones?
Lastly, could you recommend a good hydroponic fertilizer? I just transplanted a Strelitzia reginae and an orchid–can I use the same fertilizer for both? Since I just transplanted these two, should I change the water every couple days?

The substrate is actually the material the plants grows is and that keep is upright and/or brings the nutrient solution to the roots by capillarity. So pumice would then be your substrate. And yes, it is possible to used pumice stones as a substrate. They are quite light, so they could fly away outdoors with wind and they might not be heavy enough to provide support for some top heavy plants like bananas.

Fertilizer for orchids should always be an orchid specific fertilizer, both for hydroponics or in soil. It’s actually the same fertilizer as most orchids do not actually grow in regular potting soil. So that’s one instance where the same fertilizer may be used both in soil and hydroponics.

The Strelitzia needs a general purpose fertilizer for hydroponics. Mine is on hydroponics since about 3 years and it grows steadily 🙂

As for the brand: I currently use Plagron and I’m satisfied. I don’t know about the US but in Europe regulation is quite strict. A university tested different brands and they all contain the announced amount of different nutrients. So brand would not really matter for small scale hydroponics.

Water should never be “changed” in hydroponics. You always add water + nutrients when the gauge is at its minimum position and you rinse the substrate thoroughly every 3-6 months to get rid of residual nutrients and get a fresh start. Though I admit I don’t bother, I rinse usually about every 6 months and sometimes not at all when it is a plant that needs yearly repotting.